House Communications Subcommittee members focused on the spectrum policy fracas between the Commerce Department and the FCC during a Tuesday hearing to a far greater extent than expected (see 1907150020). The quarrel involves NASA and NOAA concerns about potential effects of commercial use of spectrum on the 24 GHz band, sold in the recent FCC auction, on federal technology using adjacent frequencies (see 1905230037). Lawmakers also showed significant interest in the debate over the best plan for clearing spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz C-band, though an industry-focused panel that appeared centered on the issue was truncated amid House votes.
Verizon solved a “conundrum” in the U.S. mobile industry in the first half by meeting consumers’ desire for “unfettered video consumption while maintaining a quality video experience,” OpenSignal reported Monday.
An NPRM on technical changes to low-power FM rules is considered noncontroversial. It doesn’t go as far as some LPFM stations would like, LPFM industry officials and broadcast attorneys who represent full-power stations said in interviews. Since the NPRM doesn’t tee up previously contentious proposals to increase LPFM power levels (see 1807230039), it's unlikely full-power broadcasters will be concerned with it, broadcast attorneys said. REC Networks founder Michelle Bradley said in posts on her website she wishes for more expansive rule changes but supports all the NPRM’s proposals.
The FCC made some major changes to its focus in the three weeks the 2.5 GHz educational broadband service order was before commissioners. They approved the order last week, with Democrats Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks dissenting to most parts (see 1907100054). A side-by-side comparison shows significant changes. While the FCC has often changed course on an item on the way to a vote, the decision of Chairman Ajit Pai to post drafts three-weeks before a meeting make the changes more apparent than they were in the past, former officials said.
Debate over the best plan for clearing spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz C-band is expected to be the big draw for stakeholders during the House Communications Subcommittee's Tuesday hearing on spectrum policy issues. It won't be the only focus. Six other bands are known to be on subcommittee members' radar amid ongoing Capitol Hill interest in U.S. strategy for taking a lead role in 5G development, lawmakers and lobbyists said in interviews. The panel is set to start at 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn (see 1907100069).
The FTC “will determine next steps” in its inquiry into manufacturer restrictions on third-party consumer product repairs after its ‘Nixing the Fix’ workshop, emailed a spokesperson. The commission is billing Tuesday’s workshop as a chance to examine whether third-party repair limitations can undercut the consumer protections in the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (MMWA). The agency has been silent about punitive actions it might take or rules it could propose to thwart practices it deems possible violations of the statute.
It’s not legitimate to claim Silicon Valley is biased against conservatives, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said in an interview on C-SPAN's The Communicators set to have been televised this weekend. President Donald Trump offered anecdotal evidence of social media’s anti-conservative bias at a White House summit Thursday (see 1907110066).
Third-party streaming of local live TV broadcasts is growing, with Locast adding markets and Didja, trialing in three markets, hoping to sign retrans agreements with major broadcasters soon. Though the copyright and retans lawsuits some saw as possible with the early 2018 launch of Sports Fans Coalition's Locast (see 1801110026) haven't materialized, some say it's not in the clear.
Consumer and public interest groups said the FCC should deny a petition by the P2P Alliance asking to clarify peer-to-peer text messages to cellphones aren't subject to Telephone Consumer Protection Act restrictions (see 1805040028). It's late in the game. Industry and agency officials said Chairman Ajit Pai supports acting on the P2P petition, likely with the support of the other Republicans. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks haven't staked out a position.
President Donald Trump offered anecdotal evidence of social media bias and alleged throttling of his followers and activity on Twitter. Speaking Thursday to hundreds of invitees at his Presidential Social Media Summit (see 1907100040), he cited dramatic fluctuations of follower counts and Twitter interaction. “It would be like a rocket ship when I put out a beauty,” he said, claiming nowadays it takes him 10 times as long to gain 100,000 followers.